Wednesday, April 25, 2012

I was excited when Kensington Books called to tell me they would be re-issuing my Sinclair Sisters trilogy. The first is MIDNIGHT SUN, which will be out May 1. They’ve put an interesting new cover on the book, and I had the good fortune to meet the gorgeous male model on the front. Lynn Gunn is all his name implies, 6 foot-two-inches of gorgeous manhood--in truth a lot better looking than the guy on the book.

And he actually looks like the hero, Call Hawkins--tall, lanky, dark-haired, and masculine. The best part was that Lynn was a really great guy.

I could leave the rest of story to your imagination, but the truth is, my husband and I had drinks with Lynn and he also came to my book signing, so we had the chance to get to know him a little. Meeting interesting people is part of what makes my job worth all the effort.

That and traveling.

MIDNIGHT SUN is a fish-out-of-water story set in the wilds of the Yukon Territory, where Charity Sinclair escapes her bland life in New York City and her equally dull boyfriend to fulfill her childhood dreams of adventure. But the danger Charity faces from the wilds of the Pacific Northwest are nothing to the danger she faces from her attraction to Call Hawkins, a man who has hides from his past in the wilderness, and is determined to keep the secrets that drove him there.

And murder is in the mix. A killer who wants revenge. There’s plenty of danger, action, and adventure--and of course, plenty of hot romance!

In order to write the novel, my husband and I spent thirty days in the wilds of Alaska and the Yukon, a four-thousand mile journey in our camper! It was the trip of a lifetime.

I hope you’ll watch for MIDNIGHT SUN and look for the other two books in the trilogy, DESERT HEAT and DEEP BLUE. All of the stories stand alone, so you don’t have to worry about the order. Hope you enjoy the books. Have a great summer!

Call Hawkins just wants to be left alone and leave the past where it belongs. The bleak beauty of Dead Horse Creek is a perfect place to get away from the world...a place where nothing exists to remind him of everything he's lost. His isolation is complete--until Charity Sinclair arrives fresh from New York City. Shamefully beautiful and stubbornly independent, she's also shamefully ignorant of the untamed wilderness...and the very real dangers she'll face if Call doesn't teach her a thing or two.

But even with Call's grudging help, Charity's dream of life in the Yukon may have led her into something much more savage than the forest. A menace as endless as the long days that run together without darkness--and a killer who won't let anything come between him and perfect, deadly vengeance...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the banner to see the rest of her stops. Karen is giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

What scares me most about being an author?

There are two things that scare me about being an author. First, it bothers me when people make the assumption that everything I have written is autobiographical and based on my life. I’ve written some zany things, including a book, The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, about siblings, who travel back in time. I can assure you that, as similar as my brother and I may be to the characters of Puggie and Gigi Liddell, we have never traveled back in time. In my book, Where is Wonderland Anyway, Alice Sparrow accidently kills her abusive boyfriend and goes on the run. A reader actually emailed me and asked me if I had been in an abusive relationship. When I emailed her back and told her that I hadn’t, I got the feeling she didn’t believe me! I can assure you, I’ve never killed anyone, accidently or otherwise! I am a college professor, like Amy Campbell in One Last Class but I’ve never dated a former teen idol. I’ve gone through the dissertation process, like Lucinda Starr in Twyla’s Last Trip, but my mother was not a famous country singer and she is still alive and well and living in Florida. I won't even consider censoring myself and my writing because I’m afraid someone will think what I’ve written is a reflection of my real life.

I’m 45 years old and I feel like I’ve still got a lifetime of ideas that need to be written. It scares me to think that I may not have the time to write everything I want to write. Most people don’t enjoy thinking about their own mortality but when I do, I usually think about it in terms of my writing. Will I have enough time to produce work that will be lasting? Will I be able to make an impact? I sacrifice so much time, energy and resources to write and produce work of quality, what if all of the sacrifice ends up being meaningless and no one appreciates my work except for me? It would be like throwing a big party and not having any guest show up. I want readers to “show up” and enjoy what I’ve written.

About the Author:

Karen Mueller Bryson is an award-winning screenwriter, produced playwright and published novelist. She has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books! Karen is the creator of Short on Time Books, a series of fast-paced and fun novels for readers on the go. When she’s not at her computer creating new stories, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

In the romantic comedy, One Last Class, thirty-two year old, Zak Spencer, is a washed-up teen idol, who decides to rebuild his life by returning to college in Arizona. Trouble ensues when Zak falls in love with the young professor, Amy Campbell, who teaches the one class he needs to complete his degree.

In the romantic comedy, Twyla’s Last Trip, twenty eight-year old, Lucinda Starr is an uptight research psychologist, whose deadline to complete her doctoral dissertation is completely derailed by her estranged mother, Twyla Starr's sudden death. Lucinda must take her mother's ashes on a road trip on Route 66, in order to fulfill the requirements of her will and inherit her fortune. To make matters worse, Lucinda finds herself forced to travel across the country with her mother's easygoing country lawyer, T.J. Yates, who drives her crazy,and his drooling bloodhound, Dakota, who Lucinda finds revolting.

Friday, April 20, 2012

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sharla will be giving away a $20 Amazon or BN gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click the tour banner above to see the other stops on her tour.

Woot! This is the last stop on a fabulous tour, and I’m thrilled to be spending it with you! I love that I’m ending with something fun. Personally, I always enjoy reading personal tidbits about the authors I read—brings them a little closer to real for me.

I’m about as down to earth and real as it gets, so I’m going to open the book of What You May Not Know About Me up and give you the top 10. I know many of you don’t know me at all…lol…but I’m going to try to dig up some things that you won’t even find online. Okay a few might be, but I’m really not that exciting or intense, so I have to get them wherever I can. :-)

TEN THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME… and if you care…

1. Once upon a time, I owned an indie bookstore named Nooks & Crannies New & Used Books. It only lasted a year and a half, but it was the coolest place—very eclectic with little sitting areas I made with some used furniture, and big bean bag chairs and a homemade arch made by my dad over the children’s storytime chair. Broke my heart when it went under, but it gave me this writing bug so I suppose it served its purpose.

2. I really really suck at any sportish activity requiring aim. Bowling…gutter. Darts…wall. Pool…hit every ball but mine. I can shoot pretty well, but that’s because that’s just twitching my finger and because I’m from Texas. They kick you out if you can’t shoot. ;)

3. Nope, I’m not related to her.

4. Have anxiety on tall bridges. It’s not the height, really, although that’s part of it. It’s the unbalance I think…the angle of going up and not seeing the other side, just sky. I plan around them. *shiver*

5. I am a dog person. Through and through.

6. I have gone spelunking in a cave that no one knew about but one other person. It started as a rabbit hole under a tree…I kid you not…and went somewhere under a residential area in Austin, Texas. I scooted on my belly for what seemed forever, trying not to think about the things crawling around me, somersaulted through a hole, and ended up in a room the size of a house, with the most gorgeous untouched formations I’ve ever seen. I did this with four people, none of which had a camera handy, and I never saw those people again. I have no proof we did it except for the memory. And I’d never be able to find it again!

7. I like to write in longhand sometimes; it stirs up creativity somehow.

8. I nearly cut the tip of my right middle finger off when I was young, cutting up foam rubber into cubes so my mom could make homemade couch pillows from terrycloth towels.

9. I used to pretend I was the Bionic Woman when I was little, making all the ch-ch-ch-ch noises when I ran…in slow motion of course.

10. I really really love TV. DVR is the greatest invention ever created, and we live for checking out our recorded list every night to see what we have to watch. I have no inkling of what night anything actually comes on, because my awesome hubby sets all that up at the beginning of every season and I count on the DVR magic to make it all appear, ready and waiting for me.

Thanks for letting me babble!! Ask any questions you like—heck I told you about the Bionic Woman; what else could I have to hide? LOL! Hope you all enjoy the book!

About the Author:

Sharla once hunted for crab in a Honduran jungle, and explored an unknown cave on her belly through a rabbit hole. Not in the same night.
Now, she lives in Southeast Texas by the Neches River with her family, an old lady dog, and 19 cockatiels. If you wonder how she writes with all that noise--the birds actually have their own house outside. THE REASON IS YOU is her debut novel.
When she's not writing, doing the day job, or doing the family thing, she's stalking her Twitter feed.
Sharla can be found at her website http://www.sharlalovelace.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sharlalovelace, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sharlalovelace, and on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/sharlalovelace.

In the small river town of Bethany, Dani Shane never fit in. Being different pushed her to the fringes of society, and even leaving town for two decades didn't stop the talk. Now, with her sixteen year-old daughter Riley in tow, Dani is back in Bethany looking for a fresh start. Too bad her plans for staying under the radar are about to be thrown out the window.

Mischievous and sexy, Dani's old friend Alex still has the power to rock her world, but there's a big obstacle standing in their way—Alex has been dead for forty years. With a ghost popping up at inopportune moments and sparking conversations with her teenage daughter, Dani scrambles to find solid ground and get a grip—both on her sanity and her heart.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

This is a stop on the Virtual Book Tour for Life in Death organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Leave a comment because Harlan is giving away a prize at EVERY STOP!! Prizes may include, but are not limited to: Amazon Gift Cards; Book Lover Note Cards; Journals; Kindle Cover; Book Tote; Hunger Games Trilogy.

HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL BASED ON A TRUE STORY
BY
HARLOW COBAN, AUTHOR OF LIFE IN DEATH

My story isn’t a warm and fuzzy one.

My father was murdered when I was 12 years of age.

A few years ago, at my uncle’s urging, I looked into what happened to him. The police had suspects, but no one was ever arrested and the case remains unsolved.

I learned a lot about police procedure when I looked into my father’s murder. It was then that I decided to write a novel.

While my murder mystery novella, Life in Death, is not entirely based on what happened to my father, it draws from real life experiences I had with him.

Writing the novel was a cathartic experience for me. What I liked most, and found particularly cleansing, about the experience was my power to spin the story as I saw fit.
We all love, hate, laugh, cry, and everything in between, so we’re never at a loss for stories to tell.

Here’s how you get started writing a novel based on a true story:

• Determine what kind of story you want to write. Talk to family and friends. Look at newspaper articles. I don’t want to be morose, but look at obituaries, too. Take notes. There are stories there.

• Determine the story’s theme: Good/evil, love/hate, birth/death, peace/war, etc. Again, take notes. This may be where the title of your book comes from or maybe not. The title of my book came to me in a dream.

• Construct a compelling plot. I suggest creating a plot outline to start with. I used the “what if” technique to determine what would happen in my chapters. Basically, you ask yourself “what if” this or that happened to your character and expand from there.

• Create dynamic scenes. My advice is something has to happen in “every” chapter or scene.

• Create multi-dimensional characters. Many writers, including yours truly, base their characters on real people and then add nuances to create more complexity and depth. This is one way to go.

• Read, read, read. The more you read, the better writer you’ll become.

• Lastly, start writing. “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

Truth can be stranger than fiction, but maybe not as entertaining. The key to writing a novel based on a true story is in how you spin the story to make it enjoyable for readers.

Cheers!

About the Author:

Author Harlow Coban was born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO. She relocated to North Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins.

She shares a birthday with the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. In keeping with his legacy, she is currently working on taking over the world. Harlow’s positive attitude and fresh take on life are her tools and conquest is certain.

She spends her free time writing, dancing, traveling and defending mailboxes from her 16-year-old twins’ driving.

Her debut novel, LIFE IN DEATH (February 2012), is a murder mystery which pulls from real-life situations from her own family history. She felt compelled to share her story with the world while offering a thrilling, entertaining, and amusing escape for readers.

In keeping with her commitment to improving the lives of children, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in her home state of North Carolina.

She loves to connect with her readers and can be found on Twitter (@HarlowCoban), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Harlow-Coban/174596219285270), Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com) and her website (www.HarlowCoban.com).

When a girl that social worker Kari Marchant places in foster care is brutally murdered, she’s compelled to learn why. Her quest for the truth pits her against friends and coworkers. As Kari works to solve the horrific plot, more people die. She’s been targeted for death and she doesn’t even know it. How far should she go to learn the truth—even if it threatens her life?

When homicide detective Rance Nicolet meets Kari, his attraction to her is powerful—and the feeling is mutual. But things between them go terribly wrong when Kari’s old lover is found murdered with a letter from her in his pocket. The evidence against Kari is damning. Rance’s personal and professional lives collide. Does he blindly believe the woman he’s falling in love with or follow the evidence no matter where it leads?

Friday, April 6, 2012

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be giving away several prizes: A Safari Moon bookmark to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop; ebook copy of The Gift (part of a Valentine anthology) and Star Crossed (part of St. Patricks Day anthology) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour; one commenter during the tour will win the right to have a character named for them in her next release--either Ghost Dance (a western historical romance) or Rebel Heart (science-fiction romance): two randomly drawn commenters during the tour will each win a $25.00 GC to Starbucks. Click on the banner for the other tour stops.

Lessons I Learned From my Hero and Heroine

Patience— Nyssa is known for this quality. At times I would say she has too much tolerance when she is dealing with Solo. So that brings up the question, can a person have too much of what is considered a good trait? Perhaps. What have I learned from this? I have learned that sitting back and waiting for something does not work. If it is something I really desire, I have to go after it. And I don't settle until I have achieved the goal. I am a great goal setter, always have been and probably always will be. Reevaluating the old saying "patience is a virtue" is it? Too a certain extent absolutely. Can it get in the way of a person's goals? At times. Moderation must be the key.

Don't settle for second best—career and mate— Early on Nyssa realizes she does not like her chosen career as a Wall Street broker. She decides to quit her job and return home where she finds a relaxing career as a bicycle tour guide. Settling for second best has never been my style. I'm not sure I learned this from my characters or if I they learned it from me. Long ago as a competitive swimmer I learned to set goals and work hard to meet them.

Learn to laugh at life's little blunders— ok, so Solo wasn't laughing when he encountered the female with the skunk and the "willing, eager, and able women" who wanted to seduce him and marry him. But eventually he laughed with Nyssa over this.

Take adventure whenever you can find it— often times we get so caught up with work that we don't have time to explore new venues. As a retired teacher I now have the opportunity and the means to travel. Even if the travel only takes me a couple hundred miles from where I live—the Pacific coast or central Oregon-- I like to see new things and experience life. I have definitely learned this from Solo who takes every opportunity to find new and exotic photo shoots. I haven't been to Africa nor have I swam with whales, but in Hawaii I have swum with the turtles. I have so many places to visit. Will I ever have enough time? I certainly plan on it.

Don't put off today's fun—life can be way too short— Solo believes in making his work his fun as does Nyssa. Again I'm not sure who taught whom what. But I've always told my kids you should enjoy your work then it is not work. I've finally reached the point where work is fun. I loved teaching, hated the discipline, but I did enjoy my life long career. Now I love, absolutely love writing and creating new characters. I've been rejuvenated and am reworking Rebel Heart, which will have a new cover as well as a new interior come the end of June.

Change is a good thing—Solo loves change, Nyssa does not. Change is what makes us keep living, feeds the brain cells and makes life fun. I have learned this from my characters. I have always disliked change. Now I love change, like to mix-it-up so to speak. Don't want life to be too dull.

About the Author:Born in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary education and counseling. Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Her teaching and writing careers have intertwined with raising three children. Christine's newest venture is the creation of Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.

Solo St. John, a wildlife photographer, is preparing for a trip to Alaska. Suddenly, Solo finds women of all sorts invading his privacy, his home and his office, all cooing nonsense words and blatantly throwing themselves at him. Solo doesn't know why, and he has no idea how to rid himself of the persistent women. He finally decides to beg a favor of his best buddy Nyssa Harrington.

In love with Solo for the past ten years and knowing he doesn't return her feelings Nyssa doesn't want to talk to Solo. She knows if she accepts his phone call, she will not be able to resist the temptation to hope again.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Over the years I've discovered something that surprised me. Well, maybe not surprised me as much as affirmed an idea stirring around for a while. But it took pictures of authors and their domains - office domains - and comments they made in written comments to convince me I was right.

Most romance authors, no matter the genre, love animals. Why did I reach that conclusion? They talk about their cats, dogs, horses, whatever. They have pictures of their pets in the offices, at their feet, on their web pages. And a lot of other authors are quick to offer sympathy when a novelist says a favorite animal has passed away.

So the next question has got to be, why do authors of romantic fiction feel just empathy for the furry little (or sometimes not so little) creatures? I thought about it for a while and decided it wasn't such a mystery after all. Creators of romantic fiction have compassion, are romantic in nature, generally are very kind and generous people. They are also, because writing fiction requires solitude, in need of someone who is not too demanding, usual quiet and satisfied to be near you without offering comments, or conversation. A pet - cat or dog, bird or fish, even a horse, especially if you are given to using your laptop outside - offer a comforting presence.

The next question is gonna be -- So okay, what kind of an animal do you have? To which I grin and say - animals. We, because my husband is more of a softee than I am, have three inside cats. Note, I said inside cats. Not too sure how many reside in the shed in back of the property, but we've named two of them, Fanny Mae is a regular visitor and Sneakers prefers to waltz in late afternoon or early evening. Our local Cat Coalition helped us catch them, so the vet could check them over, give them shots, and neuter them before they returned them to us. And my Darling Husband trudges out every morning to fill their bowls. They sure eat a lot of food. Of course we have Roscoe, the raccoon, and Oppie, the possum who also visit, and eat their share. I haven't tried to name the birds. There are just too many.

Back to the inside cats. Our oldest is a marmalade darling, one of the most beautiful short hairs I've ever seen with large almond colored eyes. Wally is a tuxedo, with enormous whiskers and was rescued as a tiny kitten from under the shelves of a big box store. Our last addition is half a silver point Siamese with a bit of tiger in her. She does like to bite.

And yes, they all try to help me write. But after all, that's what the pets are for, aren't they?

About the Author:

Award winning author, Allison Knight claims she's married to the world's greatest husband because he's her greatest supporter and works with her on all her projects. The mother of four children, she retired from teaching to move south to warmer climes. She has written and published nineteen romances for both paperback and digital publishers. Her third medieval romance from her 'song' series and a short story are available from Champagne Books, Inc.

Because she can never quite step out of teaching mode, she blogs often sharing the knowledge she gained writing and publishing in the romance genre. She also loves to talk about the growing digital market.

Alwyn ab Brynn Ffrydd wants revenge against a powerful Baron without losing his king's support. What better way to exact revenge than to kidnap the Baron's long time mistress. But she is not what he thinks she is.

Shy, unworldly Milisent Mortimore has been confined for nine years by a brother who now demands she agree to wed a cruel, heartless man. Thanks to her father's will, she has the right to chose her mate or her spouse will lose her inheritance.

When Alwyn kidnaps her desires flares and together they must struggle against the treachery of Alwyn's current mistress, her brother and the man he wants her to marry.

In defying all three, Alwyn places his life at risk. Milisent saves him from certain death and together they celebrate their life of love.